The Attic Internal Vision
by Pugnacious Peace
Summary: YES! :D I've been talking about getting the third work done, and now, after a HUGE wait, here it is. I hope it answers all the questions from the past stories. if you hadn't read the others in order, read them first. :3


_**After one long wait, here I am. XDD I feel so much better than I had a while ago. **_

_**^-^ I can only hope that I haven't lost all of my ideas I had before I left. xD **_

_**IMPORTANT TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING!!! : You may need to read BOTH stories, in the correct order (The Attic then The Attic - Demon Eyes) , to understand this. Some things that happen in this story was not put in the past stories, and were left out specially for this story. Most, if not all, mysteries will be solved in this final installment. :) Thank you for reading this note (if you did... :O) **_

_**I went through and fixed all of my errors (or all the errors the school system picked up. xD) so if you spot any more, please send me an email to tell me!**_

_**Read on!**_

"_I'm so sorry..."_

_"You lied to me! How could you! You __**lied!**__"_

_"Please... please, no... NO!"_

"No!" Hijiri jerked out of his bed, screaming as he gripped his chest. His eyes were wide in fear, his legs slowly curling to his side. He felt amazingly guilty, though he couldn't find why. It was... it was just a dream. But why had it felt as if it was _himself_ that swung the blade, ending another man's life? Then again, there were a lot of questions still unanswered about this god forsaken house. _Why_ was the attic so difficult to open? He still hadn't been able to unstick the door, and he'd been living in the house for almost a year and a half. Why had he heard sounds of a man crying, almost painfully, coming from said attic? It sounded as if this man was so in pain...

Why had hands snaked up his legs, leaving behind nasty bruises against his knees? Dreams of destruction... of pain? Death? Two boys in particular, and one young woman with long black hair, showed up in the dreams. The noise in the dreams fluttered in and out, like a TV with bad Audio reception. He knew for a fact that none of the people in his dreams had been known before. At least not in the recent past. His entire body hurt, screamed in protest as he stood slowly, looking out the window just behind his bed frame. His dark green eyes shined as the rain began to pound against the window. Water was running down the outside, reflecting the light of the ceiling fan as his father walked in.

"Is everything alright?"

Hijiri turned quickly, his gasp caught in his throat. "Y...yeah. I'm fine... I just had a nightmare, is all."

"All? Hijiri, you've been having nightmares once every two months. It's strange." His father sighed and looked at a calendar on his son's bedroom wall, marking the date with a small blue marker. "The 18th. As usual. Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

"I'm... I'm sure. Don't worry."

His father hissed a breath in annoyance, but then sighed. "I suppose you won't tell me any more than this... Good night, Hijiri."

"Good night..."

As soon as the light flickered off - a normal effect of the crappy lighting in the old house - Hijiri stepped onto a small stool he kept in the center of the room, in front of his bed. He pulled on the new chain of the attic door, but, to no surprise to himself, nothing came down. No dust, no door, no blood or dead bodies.

Hijiri chuckled in false amusement. But... still... he couldn't shake the horrible feeling of being watched. Couldn't forget the man in his dream's terrified face, his fearful scream as a blade pierced his throat.

"Hijiri, can you pass these papers out?"

Hijiri looked up slowly. "Yeah..." As he stood, the boy that sat behind him, Hajime Terazuma, snickered and smacked a paper ball his way. Hijiri, however, having learned to rely on other senses than his eyes during his previous blindness, turned sharply, catching it and glaring at the slightly older student. Hijiri's black hair framed his emerald eyes glowing in hate, smashing the paper in his palm before throwing it back and turning toward the teacher once again with a smile of triumph.

As he took the stack of graded papers, Hijiri grasped his head in pain. Frequent headaches, he remembered his doctor telling him, were greatly possible after his eye surgery. And since only a year had passed, he supposed it was still too early to be free of his past problems. At Birth, blindness was a possibility. As a child, it became reality. But just before he moved to his new home, his eye doctor referred him to a surgeon, who gave Hijiri a cornea transplant at a lower price, since he _had_ been referred. And so, here he was, able to see things and react to them in a normal way. For once. True enough, one year seemed to be all that was needed, but hey, things like that couldn't always be guaranteed. The world and its inhabitants were never the same all around; someone, somewhere, had to be so different from the rest, that they needed their own species to explain their lifestyle.

Hijiri moved gracefully between rows, setting papers on desks according to names. Somehow, he knew that today was going to be different from the rest of the days. He couldn't explain it, but since he got his cornea transplant, he'd had an uncanny way of telling the 'future' even if his eyes had nothing to do with it. Maybe it was just paranoia; now that he could see, he may not expect something to look the way it did. At least that's what his father told him. His father never had believed in the supernatural, and couldn't fathom why his son was so obsessed with it. Still, Hijiri couldn't help but stare at a single paper.

His own. He would have been proud of the grade he had gotten; he had a one hundred on a test he didn't even study for. But as he stared at the white paper in his trembling hand, he was paying no mind to the grade. It was what was making his hands wet that was bothering him. Looking on the back of the paper, he could hear whispers from students as pictures flashed across his mind, first stationary, and then moving as if time were replaying itself in the form of an old 1940s movie.

**The first picture showed a young brunette male, looking down and blinking, almost in slow motion. Two feminine hands grasped his shoulders and the boy tensed, then calmed, as if knowing the person. He set one hand on the woman's left hand calmly, sighing as she spoke.**

_"Why are you so afraid, Tsu?"_

**He laughed gruffly, shaking his head and looking to the side.**

_"I don't know mom, I-"_

**But as he spoke, another woman who looked much like him stepped into the room, confusion all over her face.**

_"Who are you talking to, Tsuzuki?"_

**The hands tightened, and the boy collapsed on the floor.**

**Hijiri seen next a blond boy with his hands gripping his head, a woman with dark brown hair staring at him, a report card from his own school in her hand.**

_"There's someone following me, mom, I..."_

_"Who, then, Hisoka!? Who is following you?"_

_"I...I don't know yet..."_

Hijiri let out a grunt as he dropped the papers to the ground, all of them, and gasped for breath. The teacher rushed over, draping his hands over the boy's chest. "Are you alright, Hijiri?"

"I…Yeah, I just feel... A little light headed. I need to go to the nurse..."

"Do you need me to walk you there?"

Annoyance suddenly flashed in the boy's eyes. "I don't need help." He hissed. Upon the teachers slightly hurt expression, he sighed. "I... I just need to be alone when I walk there..."

"Alright... Here's a pass, be careful, alright?"

"..." Hijiri turned and stumbled slightly, still in a daze, and walked out of the room.

He walked down the hall, listening to the empty sound of his footsteps echoing against the walls. Fear strangled him, to the point where his vision was beginning to blur and his mind was reacting in a way it shouldn't have. Shadows from the corner of his eyes, long drawn out moans of ecstasy (although in his school, they may not have been imagined), and soft gasps and sobs filled with fear. They all collided into one loud sound, bombarding his eardrums with a noise many could not understand. "Shut up..." He mumbled, leaning against a locker. "Just... Please... shut up..."

_"Who are you speaking to, Tsuzuki?"_

Hijiri's eyes snapped open. That line was different from the one in his 'vision', if you will, in tone and in wording. The tone seemed so... sarcastic. Plus, the word 'talking' had been replaced by 'speaking'. But that couldn't possibly be real, right? No, it was his imagination. His mind was playing tricks on him, it had to be.

But that was when a scene, of similar vision, with almost grainy picture, played out in front of him.

"_Who are you speaking to, Tsuzuki?"_

_"N...Nobody, Mr. Kazutaka..." The brunette, Tsuzuki, mumbled, walking carefully to the bathroom. But 'Kazutaka' persisted._

_"What's wrong? You seem a bit out of it. Are you sure you don't want me to call your mother?"_

_"I'm sure. She... she's at work, anyway, so it wouldn't matter-"_

_"You have a different look about you today, Tsuzuki... You look tired."_

_"I..." As the silver-haired man smiled, Tsuzuki's pain seemed to melt. "I'm fine. Really, Kazutaka."_

_The older man touched Tsuzuki's cheek. "Good. Go to the bathroom and clean up, alright? Wake up a little before you enter my class again." The man looked teasing as he waggled his pointer finger in Tsuzuki's face. _

_Tsuzuki gave a soft, light-hearted laugh. "Yessir." As soon as Kazutaka went into the classroom, Tsuzuki turned and entered the bathroom. Soon, the brunette fell out, yelling out in fear. A blond boy covered in blood stepped into the hallway, his eyes boring into Tsuzuki's. _

_"No... No! Get away from me!" _

_Hijiri gasped, without even thinking, as the scene played out before him. As soon as the gasp left his lips, the brunette looked his direction. _

_And so did the bloody boy. _

"Oh GOD no!" Hijiri screamed, jumping backwards in reaction to the sudden stabbing fear in his chest. He fell to his knees, still screaming. The brunette was gone, but the blond boy still remained, stepping towards him with obvious effort. Hijiri backed against the wall, staring directly into the other's face. He found that this boy could nearly be his twin, had it not been for the blood. The same emerald green eyes stared at him with such hate that it made Hijiri weak, pressing flat against the wall. If it had been possible to materialize through the concrete, Hijiri would have already done so by now.

Before he could react, the boy slapped him across the face, yelling something that echoed around him, but Hijiri couldn't understand it. Then the twin was gone, leaving behind only red streaks in front of Hijiri's eyes. Then all traces were gone, as if nothing had happened. Hijiri ran to the boy's bathroom, looking in the mirror.

Nothing. Not even a mark to show he had been slapped. He rushed to a toilet, heaving into the bowl. The contents of his breakfast spilled from his lips in reaction to the fear and disgust of the boy. Not to mention the realization that none of it even happened.

Did he even truly scream?

"Is everything okay out here?"

"I sent a student out just five minutes ago. Hijiri! Where are you?"

Hijiri looked up, coughing. "In...In here!" He shook and heaved again, spreading his feet to either side of his body.

Three teachers, including a female, who obviously didn't care it was a men's restroom, rushed in, his own homeroom teacher, Mr. Watari, bent down and rubbed Hijiri's back as he heaved one last time, moaning in discomfort.

"You're going home, Hijiri... alright?"

Hijiri nodded slowly, coughing and wiping his mouth with a paper towel that Mrs. Mizuki provided for him. "T...Thank you..."

She nodded. "Are you alright? We heard screaming."

Hijiri looked at the three concerned faces, one of which looked strikingly familiar.

"_**You have a different look about you today, Tsuzuki. You look tired."**_

'_K...Kazutaka...? Could this be the man I seen speaking with Tsuzuki...?'_

He shook his head and smiled. "I didn't hear anything. I've been in here heaving." He was lying through his teeth. These lies were already poisoning his tongue with their venom, tasting bitter on his lips.

"Hmm... We all couldn't have imagined the same thing at the same time," Mr. Kazutaka started, standing up. "Maybe it was some kid pulling a joke."

"Probably. It's almost the end of the 3rd year student's educational career. They probably aimed to scare a few younger students."

Hijiri accepted the help offered by Mr. Watari as the man helped him up, walking him to the office. "Mrs. Mizuki, could you go watch my class for a moment?"

"Sure."

Hijiri sat in the chair in front of the office, exhausted, terrified...

And slightly excited. Who _were_ those boys? Were they students here? Where were they now? They couldn't be current students. There's no way a living human could appear and disappear like that. Let alone make his vision so... grainy. It would be based solely on coincidence, and the stunt in itself took a lot of brainpower and timing to pull off, two things _nobody_ in this school could possibly have much of.

The brunette - Tsuzuki, was not anybody that Hijiri had ever seen, and, since he was the star violinist in the school, he'd seen quite a few students and visitors in his concerts.

It didn't matter anymore, because it was over. The visions were a one time thing.

They _had_ to be.

"He has quite the fever. It's best if he stayed lying down for the next few days. Have him drink as much water as possible."

Hijiri moaned, his forehead hot, and sweat slowly dripping from his face. That's _it_. Those 'visions' were caused by a fever! He felt foolish for believing even for a moment that they had even happened like they did. He had simply made up the images and put them into what his mind wanted to see. Or rather _thought_ it wanted to see. A pack of ice was set gently on his skin, and his eyes rose up to see his father, looking down on him with a smile. "You okay, Hijiri?"

"Ye...Yeah. I'm okay..." He coughed lightly, moaning again as his muscles protested his rolling over to his side. "dad..."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever seen me talking to a brunette named Tsuzuki? Here or in the past..."

"No... No, I don't believe I have."

Hijiri smiled and nodded. "Good... That's what I tho..what I though...what I thought...." Hijiri's eyes closed for the night, his breathing falling to a comfortable, healthy rhythm. His father smiled, kissing his son's ear softly.

"Good night, Hijiri... See you in the morning."

He didn't realize that the Hijiri he raised was beginning to fade.

_"Let go of me!" Fingers were shoved into Tsuzuki's mouth, the blond boy sitting on top of him glaring with hatred not understood by the living. Tsuzuki screamed and fought, and the younger boy pulled his fingers out of his mouth, growling and frowning slightly. _

_A woman began walking towards the two boys. She gripped the boy's shoulder, smirking beneath the blood against her face. She brought a sword to her side, walking to Tsuzuki robotically, as if she had done this hundreds of times. She smirked, raising it above Tsuzuki's chest, slamming it down. Tsuzuki let out a loud scream._

_Tsuzuki suddenly shot out of his bed. To the left, Hijiri watched in fascination. The brunette grasped his chest quickly, letting out short gasps._

_**"Another dream..."**_

_He got out of his bed, walking directly passed Hijiri. No, not passed – walked __through__ him. Hijiri shuddered with the feeling and turned, following him slowly. _

_**'**_**This... this is...'**

_The hall was so recognizable, Hijiri nearly cried out in shock. _

**'This is HOME!'**

_Tsuzuki walked into the bathroom, turning on the light. He sighed, apparently thinking about something, before chuckling and shaking his head. But the uncomfortable atmosphere around him made Hijiri recoil. He didn't want to step in the bathroom, in fear that it might make the same thing that happened a school happen _again_. What if Tsuzuki could see him in the mirror? _

_Hijiri almost backed up, but a cold air on his back made him turn quickly. There, directly in front of him, the woman from 'Tsuzuki's' dream stared at him. Her eyes practically _**threatened**_ him to get out or something horrible would happen. He backed out of the way quickly and blinked, but she was gone. _

_The blond boy had somehow crept passed him, appearing behind Tsuzuki. The latter boy let out a scream, and the former was suddenly gone. Tsuzuki shook his head quickly again, turning on the water faucet. He splashed his face, and red water dripped from his skin. It was thick, and on habit, Hijiri let out a loud scream upon Tsuzuki turning to face him, his once brown eyes purple. _

_' _**Eyes... Eyes of the demon...'**

_Tsuzuki jumped at him, and Hijiri let out another cry, jumping out of the bathroom. In a hurry, Hijiri tried to grab a small vase by the front door, forgetting that this was only a nightmare; he couldn't do anything to protect himself. His hand sailed through it, and Tsuzuki let out a loud laugh, sounding unlike a boy or a girl at all. It was just... genderless. _

_"Get...Get away from me! Monster!" Hijiri shouted, without thinking. Tsuzuki seemed to be caught off guard by that. And obviously angered. His amethyst eyes narrowed and he dove for Hijiri, colliding into him and pushing him to the ground. Hijiri screamed and slapped at him, realizing that his hands could touch this man. Letting out a strange battle cry, Hijiri pulled on Tsuzuki's hair, kicking his bare feet into the other's stomach. Tsuzuki sailed backwards, falling and laying on the ground, unmoving. Hijiri stood up in panic, attempting to race back to his room. _

_As he turned to the stairwell, the blond boy stood there, a smirk on his face. He grabbed Hijiri's arm tightly, pulling him towards the 'spirits' body. Hijiri, shocked, let himself get dragged. _

_Suddenly, the setting of the house faded. It was just the two of them, seeming to float in darkness, and the blonde's face was cleared of blood. a bright smile plastered on his face, he wrapped one arm around Hijiri's waist, stepping forward, as if in a dance. But something had changed... _

_He looked around, hearing a soft sound of music. His surroundings were of an ornately decorated ballroom, looking much like the layout of the living room, kitchen, and the hallway of his home put together, without the walls. He recognized the large grandfather clock in the corner._

**'This must be... The way the house used to be... when Tsuzuki lived here. But where is he?'**

_He looked around, but was then snapped into attention by a deep, gentle voice. _

_"You look lovely tonight, Noriko." _

_Hijiri looked up. "Wha..." He looked down, gasping lightly. _

_A beautiful golden gown with white trim clothed his boyish body, even though he felt _much_ different. His hair felt heavier, and he was wearing, quite easily by the way, golden high heels to match the dress. He smiled, without even wanting to, and replied, "You do as well, Kyoya." His voice came out feminine, soft and elegant, but with a hint of lust deep within the tones. _

_Hijiri looked into 'Kyoya's' eyes and found himself strangely attracted to this man. He felt as if he knew this man... from somewhere... _

**"**_**I'm so sorry..."**_

_**"You lied to me! How could you! You **_**lied!"**

_**"Please... please, no... NO!"**_

_Hijiri gasped. '_**The man in my dream! So his name is Kyoya...**_' Hijiri knew now that these 'dreams' weren't just that. These WERE visions, and the people he kept seeing were ghosts. From this house, it seemed. _

_He felt his body being pushed away from the strong man, and he was twirled back, his back against Kyoya's, hands crossed over his chest and gripping the stronger man's hands criss-crossed. Love filled his - no, Noriko's - heart, and he could feel the woman he must have looked like want to reach out and touch the man's face. Without even hesitating, he looked up at Kyoya, running his left hand over the soft skin of the man's cheek. _

_"I love you, Kyoya."_

_"I love you too, Noriko..."_

_And he was twirled away, and let go to spin away completely, and the blond boy stood there once again, his face clear of everything, looking solid and normal. A grateful smile crossed his face. _

_"__**And now you know... Before you...**__"_

_The smile disappeared, replaced by a rough smirk. The blood suddenly dripped off of him, a puddle beneath the boy. _

_"__**You die...!**_"

"NO!" Hijiri sat up, screaming loudly, even after he had cried out a word. He thrashed, feeling the boy's fingers around his neck, only for a moment. He took a deep breath, looking around to see his room, his own, not looking at all like Tsuzuki's, and he sighed in relief. "Oh thank god... Just a dream..."

He laughed gently. But his bedroom door closed slowly, revealing a bright golden and white dress hanging on the back, and matching slippers in the corner. Fear clouded his eyes again, and he looked down at his arm.

"A... A bruise..." He whispered aloud, tears flowing freely from his eyes. The hand print seemed as if it was permanent.

His father rushed in, pushing the door open completely, grabbing Hijiri's hand. His son let out a loud scream, slapping his face, pushing his own father away and falling off of his bed, still crying hysterically, slamming himself against the wall, holding his hands in front of his face. "Please, god, don't! I'm begging you!"

Despite the desperate kicking, his father pulled Hijiri's body closer to his own, rubbing his head. "Shh, Hijiri... Calm down, it's only me here. It's okay, it's just me..." He looked up out the window, wincing at his son's wail for help. The neighbor's lights were all turning on.

"Hijiri, come on! Calm down!"

"No! Let go of me! You MONSTER!"

"HIJIRI!" His father shook Hijiri's shoulders quickly.

Hijiri looked forward.

Tsuzuki's face stared back at him, but it was his father's voice that spoke. As 'Tsuzuki' shook him, his vision began to clear.

"...D...Daddy..." He broke into tears again, slamming his head into his father's chest, letting out a cry of fear. Hands grasped his head, lips kissing his hair.

"Minase!"

"Up here!" His father yelled, in a trembling voice.

Five men rushed in, one with a bat and one with a gun. "Is everything alright!?"

"Yes.... it is now..." He shook his head and shushed his son, hugging him closer.

"He had a pretty bad nightmare, I guess. Started beating on me like I was the devil. But everything's fine-"

"No..." Hijiri whispered, his eyes wide. He stared beneath his bed, and even as the men stared at him in confusion, he let out another scream. Tsuzuki lay beneath the bed, his brown eyes wide in pain and fear. His hand was reaching out to him, as if calling for help, seeing Hijiri just before he died.

"Dad... Promise me something... Hijiri whispered, looking up and pressing his face into his father's neck.

"Anything. Just say it..."

"Promise you'll believe me when I say this."

"Of course."

"I think... I think a ghost is trying to kill me..."

"Hijiri? The doctor wants to see you now."

Hijiri looked up, shooting a glare at his father before standing up from his chair.

"Hijiri, you know I'm only doing this to help you,"

"Oh yes, because every child loves to hear their father call them crazy."

"I told you, I'm worried. I'm looking for _physical_ evidence, Hijiri. I'm not saying you're crazy."

Hijiri huffed, walking in front of his father and following a nurse through a long hallway lined with doors, different names on bronze nameplates hanging on the wall.

Finally, she smiled and turned to face the two, pointing into a room. "Dr. Munakata will be in shortly, please sit down and feel free to read some books on the table." Hijiri nodded and reached to the books, but a picture caught his eye. His breath hitched in his throat, his eyes widening.

A picture of Kyoya and Noriko, from his dream, stood in a black and white picture, Noriko holding a baby. "No way..." He picked up the picture, and his father grabbed it quickly.

"Hijiri, that's the man's personal property."

"But-"

"Quit being nosy!"

Hijiri frowned before turning away, curling his legs up to his chest on the examination bed. Hijiri looked at the wall, at the various pictures of old dojos and temples. His eyes rested on a diploma. '_Mori Munakata... Hmm... Interesting name._'

Five minutes passed before Dr. Munakata walked through the door, his white lab coat unbuttoned and a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Mr. Minase. I hear your son is having some problems?" he shook hands with his father, and Mr. Minase just sighed.

"Hijiri's been going on about ghosts in the house. I'm worried that maybe someone's doing something to him and he's reacting falsely."

"Dad, I told you! Nobody is doing _anything_ to me!"

Dr. Munakata chuckled lightly, touching Hijiri's chin to look in his eyes. "Look up please." Hijiri huffed, but did as told. "Does it hurt?"

"Nn... A little..."

"Just a dull ache?"

"Yeah."

"Normal."

"Dr. Munakata... if you don't mind me asking..." Hijiri took a breath, pointing to the family picture. "Was your father's name Kyoya?"

Dr. Munakata stopped, looking at him with a surprised glance. "How could you possibly know that?"

"And your mother.... was Noriko... right?"

Munakata turned to Mr. Minase, shock in his eyes. He turned back to Hijiri. "How do you-"

"I live in their old house. You... can look at the paperwork my father gave you..."

Munakata did so quickly, his hands shaking. "Yes...yes, you do... I lived there too. Is the property still the same?"

"Were you there when walls were built between rooms? In what used to be the ballroom, I mean."

"No..."

"Then no."

Dr. Munakata smiled. "My, you sure do your research on those around you. Cautious... classic sign."

"Of what?"

"A possible mental issue. Or it could just be you're obsessive about the details. Open your mouth, please."

Hijiri opened his mouth carefully.

"Oh, a little wider please, so I can see."

Hijiri sighed, and the Doctor smelled something akin to blood on his breath. He stopped and stood fully. "Has your son coughed up blood, or gotten bloody gums lately? Even bit his tongue, I want to know about it."

"Not that I know of... Hijiri?"

"No... Why?" Hijiri started gagging almost instantly, his eyes wide. He grabbed his throat, rushing to the sink and heaving. Instead of Vomit, like all of them expected, dark red blood spilled from his mouth. And not just a little, either.

"Oh my god.. Hijiri!" Mr. Minase yelled and jumped up to help his son. "Hijiri..."

"_Hijiri..."_

_Hijiri turned sharply, and Tsuzuki stood there, pain on his face. "Help... Help me..."_

_"Wha...What?"_

_"Help me.. Noriko, she-" _

_Hands suddenly grasped him from behind, clasping around to his chest. They pulled him back. "Hijiri!"_

_"HIJIRI!"_

"Hijiri! Come on, wake up… Hijiri… Hijiri!" Tears dropped on Hijiri's face, and he took a sharp breath, gasping loudly and coughing again, this time nothing spilling from his lips.

"Daddy..."

"Oh god... Thank goodness you're alive."

"I'm... I'm fine."

Dr. Munakata looked at Hijiri. "You were saying things while you were staring at the wall. What... What did you see?"

"I seen..." He looked at his father, sighing. "Nothing..."

"Hey, psycho. I seen you at the psychiatric hospital last week, Hijiri." Terazuma smirked at Hijiri as the boy stiffened.

The raven-haired teen spun on his heels. Noticing Terazuma's group of friends, he smirked. "How would you know I was there without being there yourself?"

The smirk wiped off of Terazuma's face. "Whatever." He walked away, leaving Hijiri laughing and turning away from them.

Hijiri walked into the music storage room, grabbing his violin from the storage room. It was time to reveal a piece he'd been working on for his project in the music class. He raced up the stairs to the classroom annexed to the concert hall.

"Sorry I'm late." He said simply. "My violin was still in the storage room. I had to get the key."

The teacher, having heard of the incident at Mr. Munakata's office, smiled sympathetically. "No problem, Hijiri. Please take your seat."

Hijiri walked to his own seat in the fourth row up, sitting carefully.

"Does anybody have their music piece mastered?"

Hijiri raised his hand slowly. "Other than Hijiri."

Terazuma raised his hand. He glared down at Hijiri with a smirk. He walked down the steps and whispered to Hijiri, "I'll out play you this time, Minase."

As Terazuma played, Hijiri paid special attention to the finger positions against the chords.

'_Cheater. He's hardly deviating from the first piece we ever practiced!'_

As the last note faded, the teacher obviously noticed this, but nodded anyway. "Go and sit, Terazuma. Hijiri, come down and play please."

Hijiri smirked at Terazuma, bumping his hip into Terazuma's knocking him slightly off balance. "Oops... did little ole' me do that? Want a redo?" The class snickered, and Hijiri walked to the center of the floor, opening the case and grabbing both his violin and his bow. He placed the black instrument under his chin, breathing heavily. Just before he hit the strings, sure that bond's 'Explosive' would kick Terazuma's behind back to Junior High, a familiar face appeared in the group of students.

The blond boy, covered in blood, walked down the steps slowly, smirking.

"Hijiri..." His teacher warned, touching Hijiri's shoulder. The boy looked up.

"Sorry... Just... nervous, is all."

"Since when does Hijiri Minase get nervous?"

"Since... Since... Since now, okay?" He laughed lightly, signaling his attitude was accidental. He breathed in again, not even flinching as the blond appeared directly in his face.

"_What's wrong, Hijiri? Please play... Oh how I'd love to hear it._"

Hijiri shook his head and drew the bow across the strings, not hitting the note he meant to. He winced. "S...Sorry..." His shaking hands drew across the strings, yet again hitting the same note. "Why can't I do this..." He slid the bow over the string one last time, hitting the same note. But this time, he didn't stop. He was losing control of his hands, but he enjoyed it. Strangely, almost satanically enjoying it. That was when he recognized the song.

Mumbling started to go around the room. "Devil's Trill... He couldn't possibly have mastered that song!"

"No way..."

"Hijiri's a demon!"

Hijiri looked to his left, seeing the blond.

"_Oh, poor Hijiri... can't even control his own arms. What's becoming of the great violinist prodigy?"_

"Stop…" he whispered. He tried to slow his arms, but they only moved faster across the strings. "No... Stop it-"

A string broke, flying back and hitting his cheek. He gasped, his hands still moving. It took all his energy to finally open his palms, both the violin and the bow falling into the case.

"Hijiri..." The teen looked up, seeing the caring eyes of his music teacher staring back at him. "Go to the nurse's office."

Hijiri nodded, stumbling weakly out the door, down the stairs, and into the school hallway.

His father was called, and before long, Mr. Minase was there, looking at his son. "Hijiri... What's going on with you lately?"

"Not like you'd believe me."

"Hijiri..."

"Forget it. I just want to go home."

His father sighed. But the man stood, smiled at the receptionist and laughed. "I need the sign out papers, please?"

"Yes sir, one moment let me get them."

Mr. Minase looked down at Hijiri, looking at his eyes. Something was definitely wrong with him. Was it so hard to believe that the place was haunted? Maybe... Just maybe, ghosts _did_ exist. Maybe he'd just pretend he believed Hijiri and went to the church to get an exorcism? Perfect. Hijiri would be happy and his imagination would be put to rest. He would return to his old self.

"An exorcism?"

"Yes."

"You mean you believe me?"

"I didn't at first. But lately I've been wondering. You've never been the type to 'see' anything like the things you're explaining. Do you want to do it?"

"Yes."

Mr. Minase smiled at the priest. "Thank you, Fujioka. I'm glad you could come at such short notice."

"When I heard what was happening to your son, I knew that something was horribly wrong with the house. I've known your boy since he was just a little 'un. I know he wouldn't lie about such matters."

"Truth is, I don't believe him. I'm hoping that you can just fake it and let him believe you did something, so that maybe his mind would stop making these images."

"You know I can't do that, Tomaki. I must do the real thing."

"Right, right.. either way, it couldn't hurt anything."

As the two men walked in, Hijiri was laying on the couch, reading a book.

"Hijiri... I brought Fujioka, from the church."

On every other occasion, Hijiri would have jumped up and practically tackled the priest to the ground in a hug. He even did that last month. But now, in the face of the paranormal, Hijiri walked calmly towards the man and raised a tired hand. "Thanks for coming..."

The priest suddenly looked troubled, looking around the house. Hijiri smiled wearily, a single tear dripping from his eye as Fujioka gasped in shock. "So you see them too... The brunette… His name is Tsuzuki..."

"Tsu...zuki... did I hear that correctly?"

"Yes."

"He was the last owner of the home. Well, the son of the last owner. They weren't here for more than three months before the boy just vanished. The mother was struck with guilt and sorrow. She just moved away. Died about two weeks later in the church. She had a heart attack while praying." Fujioka walked up the stairs, as if being led. To Tomaki, he was walking on his own. But to Hijiri, Tsuzuki was leading them. They walked directly into Hijiri's room.

Instantly, Fujioka reeled back, taking a deep breath. "The... the evil in this room... is so strong..."

Tomaki could feel it now. He shuddered, looking away. It was all true... every bit of it! Even Fujioka seen it.

The priest began chanting strongly, amazingly steady.

"In the name of Jesus Christ, we are protected."

Hijiri was not comforted. He could feel anger boiling around him.

"_Ah, Ah, Ah... Hijiri... You should know better than that." _The blond boy spoke and laughed as Fujioka turned sharply. The blond stared at the shocked priest and wrapped his arms around Hijiri's waist; touching the twin's lower stomach gently, almost seductively. His mouth closed in on a piece of uncovered flesh, which of his shoulder, and smirked at the jump Hijiri gave. Fear began to rise.

"_The virgin..."_ the boy whispered in Hisoka's ear, laughing at the sudden tenseness of Hijiri's body. "_Must be sacrificed._"

"Hijiri!"

The blond pulled a dagger, slamming it into Hijiri's stomach. Hijiri gasped, bringing his hands to his wound. He was dropped, the black haired boy falling to his knees. He moaned lightly, a tear falling. The boy behind him ran his fingers through Hijiri's hair. He stopped on his neck for a moment, before something wet landed on Hijiri's cheek.

Suddenly, everything was gone. The boy, the blood, the pain. Everything.

All but the wetness on his cheek by his ear. He moved his hand to the spot, wiping it and looking at his finger. The liquid was clear.

'_A tear...?'_

"He was crying..." Hijiri whispered.

"Thank you for doing this, Fujioka."

"No problem. I can only hope that it worked."

"Yes... good night."

"Good night, Tomaki."

Hijiri slept peacefully on the couch. Tomaki picked his son up gently, carrying him up to the older man's bedroom. Hijiri opened an eye as he was set on the bed.

"Dad..?"

"You aren't sleeping in there tonight. I'd rather it if you slept in here."

Hijiri smiled, reminded of the days he was a little boy, sleeping between his parents happily. As he closed his eyes again, he felt his father lay down next to him, setting an arm protectively over Hijiri's stomach, gripping his hips, as if daring someone to come in and try to take him away.

'_You won't hurt my son...'_ Tomaki hissed in his mind, feeling a pair of eyes boring into his back. '_I won't let you, Tsuzuki. You hear me? Don't __**touch**__ him...'_

He suddenly felt a pain in his back, he arched forward, wincing. Once the pain subsided, he stood quickly and walked to the mirror hanging beside his door, turning on the light. He took off his shirt, looking behind him. He couldn't see. Screwing up his face in frustration, Tomaki ran to the bathroom, grabbing a wall mirror and running back before anything could happen to Hijiri. Nothing did. The boy was still sleeping softly, oblivious to everything on the outside world.

Tomaki hung the mirror on the exact opposite wall to the other mirror. Turning his back to it, he read the message on his back. First backwards, then he translated it.

'_I'm... not... Tsuzuki!?' _he turned sharply, hearing a female laugh. He ran next to Hijiri and got on the bed, grabbing his son quickly and holding him close. "Don't... Don't even try it..!"

"_Oh, but I don't have to_." Tomaki looked down, a woman with long black hair and emerald eyes staring at him. She looked just like Hijiri, with longer hair and a more curvy body, of course. He gasped and dropped her.

"Where is Hijiri!?"

"Right here, Tomaki..." She whispered, unbuttoning her shirt and sliding it from her shoulders. His eyes slid down her body, over her breasts and to her stomach, where she held her hand.

"The virgin…" She whispered, breaking a mirror "Must be sacrificed." She pushed a piece of glass into her stomach and smiled. Tomaki could hear his son screaming in pain, crying out for help.

"_Oh god! Dad, help me! Please, HELP ME!"_

"Dad! Wake up! Daddy, come on, get up you lazy bones."

Tomaki opened his eyes slowly, looking at his son. The boy was in perfect health, a smile on his face. It seemed fake, but he said nothing. "Come on, I made breakfast."

"Th...Thank you, Hijiri."

One week passed. Hijiri and his father heard nothing from the ghosts since then. In relief, Hijiri slept in his room for the first time for quite a while.

It started all over again.

_"Hisoka! Time for breakfast!"_

_The blond boy came down the stairs, shaking slightly. "Why... why did you uncover the mirrors? And the windows..."_

_"Oh, it was so dark in there. I don't know how you can live in there." _

_'Hisoka' looked down, fear in his eyes. _

_Hijiri looked at the boy, standing in front of him. _

_Everything was suddenly gone. The two were standing alone. _

_The boy looked at Hijiri, strait in the face. "I don't have much time. Please, save me. Get me out of here!"_

_"What..." It was the same thing Tsuzuki had asked for. Did neither one know the other existed? "What about the brunette?"_

_"Yes, he asked you, didn't he?"_

_That answered that. "Yes, he did. Who is doing this? Why?"_

_"The rituals..."_

_"What rituals?"_

_"The Munakata... They-" Hands suddenly grabbed Hisoka's body, and his face changed, reverting back to the bloody, demonic boy he was when Hijiri seen him._

_"Hisoka!"_

_"You have to stop her, Hijiri!"_

Hijiri's eyes shot open. He watched as the attic door opened, previously stuck, and the stairs land on the floor, as if being pulled. The apparition of Tsuzuki walked up the stairs in wonder, slowly, as if he could fall at any moment. Hijiri slowly slid out of his bed, pushing the blankets off of his legs. "Tsuzuki..."

Tsuzuki turned, his eyes a dark brown. Then he was gone.

Hijiri went up the stairs, holding his breath. A flashlight was sitting next to the entrance, obviously not being used for some time. "I hope it still works..." He mumbled. He flicked the switch on it. It flickered for a moment before staying a steady beam of light. He walked forward, shining the light on the walls.

Satanic symbols covered each wall, painted in what seemed like blood. Fear pierced through him. Blood caked the floor beneath Hijiri's feet. He felt as if horrible, unspeakable acts of murder had occurred in _this_ room.

"Tsuzuki? Hisoka?" Hijiri dared to shout. The two boys lay on the ground, but it was not their spirits. Their bodies, almost perfectly preserved, lay on the floor in the center. Their hands were clasped, bloody, with holes in Hisoka's hands that were probably made by knives piercing the skin. Tsuzuki had a hole in his chest, his eyes closed while Hisoka's stayed open. Their knees touched, their legs folded slightly to make what looked like a fish fin.

Hijiri walked closer, his feet feeling heavier. "Guys?"

He leaned down, touching Hisoka's hip. The skin was still warm. "Hisoka..."

"Hi...Ji...Ri.." The boy on the floor whispered, looking up slowly. "Hijiri..."

"Hisoka... are you guys really alive?"

"In a way..." He couldn't move, obviously. He looked up with his eyes. "Our bodies... still live on..." Hate suddenly filled his eyes. "But so does Noriko's. You _have to kill her_"

"_**You have to stop her!"**_

Hijiri shook his head, erasing the echoing sound of Hisoka's past desperate words of his dream. "Hisoka... where is she?"

"I don't know... the one you've been seeing... with blood... _he_ did this."

"You're referring to yourself in third person?"

"No... he isn't the same... every person alive... has an opposite... Tsuzuki... me... your father..." He stopped, looking into Hijiri's eyes with his own dulled ones. "You." He took a breath. Every word seemed to be strained, forced out from a horribly dried mouth. "She harnesses these 'Anti' spirits. Because only they know a person's weaknesses. Their weaknesses are their own."

"I'm... not sure I understand..."

"The two have the _same weaknesses_. If you come in contact with yours, you will need to conquer the biggest fear you have to destroy it."

"Biggest... fear...?"

"Yes..."

Hisoka took a breath. "Go find her." His speech was drier than ever. "As soon as she is gone, her victims will be let go..."

"Even you and Tsuzuki?"

"Yes..." Hisoka coughed, as if trying to get at least some sort of liquid to his mouth. Hijiri frowned.

"Let me get you some water..."

"No!"

Hijiri looked at the boy, shocked to hear such a powerful voice from him. But it _wasn't_ him. Noriko, the woman that had been obviously controlling the darker spirits, ran towards Hijiri. The boy let out a loud yelp before jumping down the stairs of the attic, landing harshly on his knees. He winced in pain, but continued to run. She was hot on his heels, the smell of blood overpowering his senses.

"_You lied to me! How could you!?"_

_"Noriko... I'm sorry, I love you, you know that!"_

_"Kyoya.... I can't... I can't believe you would do this to me."_

_"Noriko..."_

_"You lied to me about __**everything**__! You have another wife, another child!"_

_"I was going to explain!"_

_"No! You lied to me! You will __**pay**__ for this, Munakata!"_

"_I'm so sorry..."_

_"You lied to me! How could you! You __**lied!**__"_

_"Please... please, no... NO!"_

_A sword slammed into Kyoya's neck, splashing blood on the walls._

Hijiri gasped, standing in the middle of the hall. "Another... child..." A flash of a young woman with long black hair in a flower field made him gasp.

_His father walked towards the girl. "Haruhi Munakata..." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist._

_"Tomaki!" She gasped and laughed. "Minase, what did you do that for?"_

_"I... I wanted to ask you something."_

_"What is it?"_

_Tomaki smiled, pulling out a black case with a ring. "As soon as high school is over, may I have your hand in marriage?"_

_Haruhi's eyes brightened, tearing up. "Y...Yes!"_

Hijiri shook his head. But that didn't make sense... He... _He_ was a Munakata? His mother was? No... it can't be. It had to be another family.

Another headache came on, crippling him.

_"Father!"_

_A man turned. Hijiri, who was standing in the doorway, gasped. _

_'_Kyoya!'

_"Yes?"_

_"I... Father, I'm getting married." She held out her hand, which held the small diamond engagement ring. "Tomaki proposed! He wants to get married after high school!"_

_Kyoya smiled. "That's wonderful, honey... I'm glad you two are finishing high school first."_

_Haruhi grinned. _

_A woman came through the door. "Dinner's ready, you two!" _

_"Ah, Just in time, Reika." He smiled. "Your daughter has some wonderful news."_

Hijiri looked up at a family picture. His mother and his father stood side by side, with Hijiri standing, in a small tux at the age of eight, in the middle. Both of them grabbed onto his shoulders. That's why his father always went to Dr. Munakata...! He was _family_!

Tears were brought to his eyes in memory of his mother. She had died so suddenly, so mysteriously. He suddenly looked up. "Noriko..."

**"**_**You will pay for this, Munakata!"**_

'_She... killed my mother...'_ Eyes narrowed. '_That.... She... I will __**kill**__ her!'_

Before he could move, a pair of hands gripped his shoulders. He looked up, the warm scent of his mother's soft perfume wafting around him. "Mom..."

She let go, walking ahead of him. He followed her, without even questioning where she was going. She left through the back door, waiting for Hijiri before she went outside.

She pointed to a spot in the ground and smiled. "_Hijiri... You have grown so much. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to watch."_

"Mom..."

"_Be careful._"

"Mom, wait!"

She was gone. His head was beginning to pound once again. He wanted to go back inside, to sleep and put this off until tomorrow.

But who was to say he would be _alive_ tomorrow?

He went to the shed, pulling out a shovel and a small gardener's rake. It was all he had. But it was handheld, and made of metal. It _had_ to work. He would only have one chance at this. He shoved the shovel into the soft earth, breathing heavily. '_You are going to die for good tonight, Noriko. You killed my mother, and now you've dragged her son into this. You'll pay for __**everything**__.'_

He saw an arm. His eyes widened. She was smart, that was for sure. Here, nobody would be able to find her. It would have been difficult to kill her. He got to his knees, digging with his hands. He had the rake next to him, ready to pierce the skull. As soon as the face was uncovered, he gasped.

'_It's... me...!'_

"_**Everybody has an opposite.**_"

'_No!'_

He rolled out of the way, making sure to grab the rake as his other's hand reached out to grab him. The body pulled itself out of the ground, grabbing the shovel left carelessly on the ground.

"No..."

"_Any last words?_" It spoke. It smirked at him, mocking his very existence.

"Bring it..." Hijiri challenged, taking a battle stance. 'It' charged for him, holding the shovel with expert hands. It took a swing, missing Hijiri by a hair's breath. Hijiri dodged another strike, tripping on a hose curled on the ground.

It smirked at him and watched Hijiri stand, attempting to make a run for it. The shovel collided painfully with his left shoulder. Hijiri screamed loudly, slamming into the ground and holding the injured muscle and bone. Hijiri moaned and looked at the doppelganger staring back at him.

"_**It's weaknesses are your own, Hijiri**_." Hisoka's voice rang clear in Hijiri's mind.

'_I'm afraid of... spiders... snakes...'_ He stopped, looking up. '_Heights..._' He looked down before racing to the shed. He pulled out a metal ladder, using it to block a shovel strike. He used it as cover as he moved to the side of the house. he pressed a button and threw the top half upwards, watching it extend. Locking the ladder, the doppelganger stared at him.

"Come on, idiot! Come get some!" Hijiri ran headlong towards it, letting out a loud battle cry. Neighbors were beginning to wake up. Would they see the doppelganger he was fighting? As it took a swing at him with the shovel, he grabbed it and threw it to the side, making it land in bushes. The force made the doppelganger fall to the ground, letting out a soft 'Oof' sound.

Hijiri made a run for it, climbing up the ladder. His left shoulder hurt, especially from aggravating it with the shovel throw, but he knew that if he didn't do this, he would be at death's door without even a fight. He looked down. It was climbing after him now, anger shining in it's eyes. Hijiri winced and climbed onto the roof, pulling himself up with a strength he didn't even know he had. He waited, breathing hard.

He didn't need to wait long. The doppelganger climbed onto the roof and jumped at him immediately, catching Hijiri off guard. It had its hands around his throat, choking him and shaking his body. Hijiri lifted one leg, kicking its stomach. It wobbled precariously on the edge, ready to fall at any moment. It flailed its arms, looking at Hijiri in fear.

"Last chance!" Hijiri hissed, walking closer. "You either help me, or you die."

When nothing was said, he shrugged. "Fine." He backed up, kicking the doppelganger's chest. Time seemed to move in slow motion, Hijiri's heart thudding in his chest. The wind swirled around him, leaves from the early fall following the wind's pattern. He watched the 'other' fall to its death, a small smirk appearing on his lips. It let out a loud scream, sounding much like Hijiri himself.

"_No! Help me!"_

Hijiri watched as it landed on the ground, it's neck breaking instantly. He smiled, slowly going down the ladder. His arm pulsed now, the pain subsiding to a dull ache. At least it wasn't broken. Or if it was, it severely damaged nerves.

He walked towards where he left the small rake, picked it up, and sat down, waiting for Noriko. He knew she would be coming soon. Very soon.

He waited for only three minutes before the front door slammed. Noriko walked around the house, spotting him immediately. Hijiri stood. "About time you came outside. You're little doppelganger didn't stand a chance." He motioned towards the shadow of himself on the ground, still as stone. "Now it's just you and me." He crouched and waited as she drew a sword. Hijiri back stepped and pulled the shovel from the bush.

"Let's do this." The two ran at each other, Hijiri ducking and avoiding getting his head chopped off by the sword's sharp blade. He himself swung the shovel, missing her by an inch. He blocked a cut with the sword with the metal dip at the end of his makeshift weapon, backing up.

As she ran forward, a flash of what Hisoka and Tsuzuki had been crossed his vision. The two of their spirits were getting closer, their hands about to clasp...

He yelled in pain as the sword slashed through his hip. Anger surged through him. As she smirked and raised the sword, letting out a loud battle cry, Hijiri instinctively blocked with the metal piece of the shovel, sparks beginning to fly.

_"Kazutaka?"_

_"Noriko? What is it?"_

_"Mori isn't going to be at school for a while."_

_"Oh? May I ask why?"_

_"No. You may not."_

_"That's a shame. Mori had so much potential."_

_"Hisoka... your grades are slipping."_

_"I'm sorry, I just.... things aren't so well at home, Mr. Kazutaka..."_

_"It's alright... just... try to do better. You had so much potential. I hope things get better."_

_"Thank you..."_

_"Tsuzuki!"_

_"M..Mr. Kazutaka...!"_

_"You've been acting strange lately. Is everything alright?"_

_"N...No... There's this woman… in my home... she... and this blond boy, and-"_

_Kazutaka frowned. "I know."_

_"How do you-"_

_The older man smiled. "Come into my office. I want to show you something. About your home..."_

_Only ten seconds passed before a woman stood in front of the door, glaring through the glass. "Brother..."_

Hijiri watched as the sword flew from Noriko's hands. He walked to where it stuck in the dirt, holding the shovel as well to make sure she couldn't grab it. Noriko's eyes were wide in fear. He pulled it from the ground, the sun beginning to come up behind him. His body was given an ethereal appearance. "You were planning on Killing Kazutaka, weren't you. Before I moved here. He was the key to this whole thing. He was your brother, wasn't he." He pointed it at her, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Noriko Muraki." She froze, her eyes narrowing.

"_He knew... about Kyoya..."_

"Yes. I know."

"_You little brat..." _She yelled angrily, running towards him and reaching out her hands, prepared to strangle him.

"It's not my fault you can't figure out who is worth trusting." His voice raised in volume as he looked her in the eye. He brought down the blade, striking her neck. Blood splashed on his white pajama shirt, probably staining it for good. In his mind, both Tsuzuki and Hisoka touched hands. Suddenly, their presence was gone all together.

'_Rest in peace, you guys. Thank you._'

Hijiri collapsed, weak, holding his bleeding hip. He sighed and smiled, letting himself fall on his side, watching the sun rise and neighbors running to his aid. His mother looked at him from where she herself was buried, just behind the shed.

'_Mother..._'

"Congratulations, Class of 2010!"

Hijiri laughed and threw his cap in the air, hugging classmates.

"Hijiri!"

"Dad!" The two laughed and hugged each other, Tomaki kissing his son's head.

"I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you.... Dad, can you take me to the cemetery tomorrow morning?"

"Sure."

The drive to the cemetery was surprisingly quiet, calm, and filled with happiness instead of sorrow. Hijiri held five groups of flowers. The sixth had gone to his mother's grave behind the shed, even though roses were growing around the gravestone, her favorite flower. He remembered going up to the attic to tell Hisoka that Noriko was dead, but he and Tsuzuki were long gone. The attic was old and dusty now, the walls normal and covered in peeling tan paint. He'd made it his project that summer to make it into a private shrine for the once-upon-a-time spirits of the home. As he cleaned things up, he found old reports of the rituals performed. As it turns out, the Munakata family had once performed rituals to keep their bodies and souls 'pure' by killing virgins, usually in their teens, and cleansing their skin with the blood. That had been in the past; in modern days, the family was just like any other. But upon realizing her boyfriend's deception, Noriko killed him and went insane, turning to told ways of Kyoya's family.

They pulled into the cemetery and walked down the rows of graves to find the five they were looking for.

"Here they are."

He looked at the named written. Someone had left pictures in front of each grave. '_No doubt it was Kazutaka._'

"Hisoka... Tsuzuki..." Hijiri smiled and looked up, knowing the two had more than likely moved on. Together. "Thank you for helping me. For saving me." He set two bouquets of bright red roses on the grass in front of the graves. He looked at Hisoka's picture, noting the happiness in the boy's face as he blew his birthday candles out. Tsuzuki's picture was of him sitting in his class desk, looking out the window with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Noriko... I'm sorry for what I had to do. But you needed to move on. I'm not sure if it helps now, but... I forgive you. For everything you've done, even things that had nothing to do with me." He lay down pink roses next to her picture. He turned to face the last grave. "Kyoya... I have nothing complete I can say to you." He laughed nervously. "You're a good dancer, though." He could hear his father laughing gruffly, but he could sense the tears in his Tomaki's eyes. "I'm sorry such a horrible thing happened to you. But now, you're with all that you loved in life. I can only hope that you're happy now." He set down the last bouquet of red roses on the grave, just above the picture. He stood, his attention drawn to four figures in the distance.

Hisoka and Tsuzuki looked at him, love in their eyes as their hands clasped together. They smiled and mouthed two words. 'Thank you'. They walked away, disappearing behind a shroud of darkness from the trees.

The other two, Noriko and Kyoya, looked at him, unsure of what to do. They both looked as they did in life, beautiful and handsome. They stood in the dapples of the trees, just staring at Hijiri. The boy grinned and waved his hands, signaling for them to move on. They looked at each other's hands, and then smiled. Noriko blushed as Kyoya took her hand. They slowly faded from his vision.

"Hijiri..."

The graduate looked up, looking into his father's eyes. "Yes?"

"I've never been so proud of anyone in my life than I am of you."

Hijiri smiled. "Let's go. There's nothing left to see."


End file.
